ROUND-UP: Longford shock Sligo in the FAI Cup

ROUND-UP: Longford shock Sligo in the FAI Cup

Longford Town provided the shock of the night as they beat SSE Airtricity League Premier Division side Sligo Rovers in the first round of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup.

13th Aug 2017

Longford Town 4-2 Sligo Rovers (AET)

Peter Hopkins and Kealan Dillon hit extra time goals as Longford Town dumped Premier Division Sligo Rovers out of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup in a six goal thriller at City Calling Stadium.

Longford took the lead on 26 minutes when skipper Dean Zambra slipped Karl Chambers in behind the Sligo defence to calmly slide the ball past Micheal Schlingermann. The lead lasted five minutes as Daniel Kearns got his head to captain John Russell’s cross to flick home Sligo’s equaliser.

Benny Igiehon headed tamely over before making amends to put Sligo in front on 42 minutes when volleying to the net from close range from Regan Donelon's cross. Schlingermann rescued Sligo with a super save on 62 minutes, getting down well to his right to push away Jake Kelly’s shot on the turn.

But Town levelled on 83 minutes when Sam Verdon looped a header to the net from the Kelly’s cross. Town keeper Jack Brady then forced extra-time when brilliantly tipping Jamie McDonagh’s shot onto the bar and out for a corner.Hopkins put Town back in front on 105 minutes, working a one-two with Davy O’Sullivan down the left to run on and blast his shot to the net for a big first goal for the club.

Sligo then had McDonagh shown a second yellow card on 114 minutes.Three minutes later substitute Dillon raced through onto O’Sullivan’s pass to shoot home Town’s fourth goal and put them into the hat for the second round draw.

Bangor Celtic 3-2 Everton

An 86th-minute goal from substitute Michael Fox provided decisive at the Iveagh Grounds, as Bangor Celtic completed a remarkable comeback against Everton AFC.

Everton skipper Jason Sexton had broken the deadlock on 19 minutes, and midfielder Lawrence Fitzpatrick made it 2-0 five minutes later.

The Cork men still led with nine minutes left but a powerful finish by Caleb Murray offered the Crumlin outfit a lifeline.

Bangor equalised through Laurence Dunne on 85 minutes, and after Fox's goal from the next attack, a deflated Everton lost Sexton to a red card in stoppage time.

Bray Wanderers 0-1 Cork City

A little over 500 people turned up at the Carlisle Grounds to witness Kieran Sadlier nudge Cork City closer to fulfilling their double dream.

The Leesiders attacking wizard played both the villain and the hero of the piece as he missed a penalty before bagging the winner just three minutes later.City's penalty was well earned as Shane Griffin and Sadlier played a one-two.

The former glided by Tim Clancy before being bundled over by Aaron Greene but Sadlier's 12-yarder was kept out by Lee Steacy.

It only took Sadlier three minutes to make amends though as he picked up possession inside the area and curled a brilliant finish to the far corner.

Wanderers competed with Cork but never looked like beating Mark McNulty so it it City who march on and deservedly so. The league title looks to be wrapped up, can they retain the FAI Cup too?

Cobh Ramblers 0-3 Limerick

Limerick cruised into the second round of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup as the comprehensively defeated Cobh Ramblers at St Colman’s Park on Saturday evening.

The SSE Airtricity League Premier Division side edged into the lead after just 13 minutes when Garbhan Coughlan raced onto a long pass over the top of the Ramblers defence before calmly clipping the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Coughlan doubled his side’s advantage after 32 minutes when he fired past Paul Hunt from close range after keeper parried the ball straight to the attacker under pressure from Chiedozie Ogbene.

And Ogbene added a third for his side after 37 minutes when he coolly stroked Barry Cotter’s superb cross from the right home at the near post to seal his sides place in the draw for the next phase.

Ballincollig 0-5 Athlone Town

Roddy Collins and his Athlone Town side comfortably avoided a shock at CIT, with five different scorers accounting for Ballincollig.

Wide player Nkololo and Sfrijan combined to settle nerves with two goals in six minutes early on, before Gaffey and Spellman also netted in quick succession midway through the second-half to kill off any chance of a comeback.

Layng added the fifth in injury time.

Cobh Wanderers 3-0 Killarney Celtic

Cobh Wanderers breezed into the second round of the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup as they comprehensively defeated Killarney Celtic 3-0 at Old Church Park on Saturday afternoon.

First half goals from Conor Meade, James Stroat and a David Stack penalty was enough to deservedly seal the Munster Senior League Premier Division club’s place in the draw for the next stage.

It was Cobh who began the game the better side and they almost took the lead after just three minutes but Celtic goalkeeper Roy Kelleher did well to smother James Stroat’s lob attempt.

The visitors went close to taking the lead against the run of play midway through the half but after a mix up in defence, Pa McGrath’s clever overhead kick was cleared off the line by the recovering Eoin Hastings.

Wanderers responded well to that let off and they edged in front after the half an hour mark.

David Stack’s superb free kick from the right flank found the run of Conor Meade and the attacker made no mistake, glancing his header into the bottom left corner of the net.

The FAI intermediate Cup finalists doubled their advantage within a minute of scoring the first as Conor Meade sent James Stroat through on goal and the forward expertly drilled his half volley past the keeper from the edge of the box.

Cobh all but sealed their place in the second round deep into injury time at the end of the opening period as they grabbed a third through David Stack, who blasted his penalty into the bottom right corner after Dave Curran had been fouled in the area.

The second 45 was rather uneventful as Michael Deasy’s men took the sting out of the game at three goals to the good.A Wayne Sparling header, which drifted just the far post, was as close as Killarney came to grabbing a consolation as Cobh safely progressed.